Elias Pettersson makes major admission about his scathing comment for Canucks media regarding scoring struggles

Elias Pettersson is struggling to score, which is a concern for the Vancouver Canucks. He has one goal and six assists in 20 games. His $11.6 million-per-year contract includes a no-movement clause starting in July. This raises questions about his future with the team.

Pettersson’s numbers show a clear drop in offensive output. He is taking fewer shots per game than he did two years ago. His one-timers are also low, ranking him 181st in the league, and less than half are on target. His offense-generating plays have also decreased compared to the 2022-23 season.

After Tuesday’s practice, Pettersson spoke to the media and admitted he has not played at his expected level. He said he thinks about his struggles a lot but does not want to dwell on them.

"I think about it a lot. I'll just be honest, I haven't been the way I want to be this year. I haven't played to the expectations I have on myself, or the franchise has on me, but that's in the past. I wish we had more wins, I wish I had played a lot better, but can't dwell on that anymore," Pettersson said.

Elias Pettersson also clarified a past remark about the Canucks media. In frustration, he had said the media was "annoying," which led to reactions from fans and reporters.

"It’s more annoying dealing with the media," Pettersson told the media on Feb. 25).

He now explained that he did not mean it and that his emotions got the best of him. He made it clear that the media is not responsible for his struggles this season.

"I was really, really mad at that moment. I said something I didn't mean. Said media is annoying, which is some days can but it's the last thing that's making me play bad or not myself this year. I just wanted to make that clear," Pettersson said.

The Canucks now need Elias Pettersson to lead offensively and help them secure a playoff spot.

Elias Pettersson failed to help Canucks in loss to Kraken

The Vancouver Canucks lost 6-3 to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. Elias Pettersson recorded zero shots on goal in 16:14 minutes of ice time. However, he received two penalty minutes for tripping Chandler Stephenson.

Andre Burakovsky scored first at 5:47, Pius Suter tied it at 11:35, and Filip Chytil gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead. Oliver Bjorkstrand made it 2-2 in the second period. Dakota Joshua scored short-handed at 8:05 for a 3-2 Canucks lead. But Matty Beniers tied it again at 12:08. Within a minute, Eeli Tolvanen put Seattle ahead 4-3.

Brandon Montour made it 5-3 in the third, and Tolvanen scored an empty-net goal to defeat Vancouver. They have now lost four of their last five games.